Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic said on Friday he expected fuel prices to remain approximately the same as today in the next two weeks, and announced the continuation of activities for curbing inflation by combining counter-cyclical measures, tax relief and subsidies.

According to preliminary data that were available to me today, it seems that diesel and petrol prices will vary very little, Plenkovic said in an interview for the HRT national broadcaster.

Asked whether that meant that fuel prices would remain frozen, the prime minister said the government would definitely continue with its current policy “because we think it is good and useful for our fellow citizens at this moment”.

Talking about a possible shortage of gas, he stressed that there was currently no set of sanctions that would apply to the flow of gas to EU countries and that Croatia was responsibly preparing for the winter months.

“Our underground gas storage facility Okoli is in the filling phase. We will have over 90% by early October. This must be fulfilled, we have given that very clear task to Hrvatska Elektroprivreda (power supplier), we have given guarantees, the funds are there. The process in under way and this is extremely important for Croatia, that we ensure enough reserves,” the prime minister said.

Speaking about the record inflation of 12.1 percent, he noted that it was a consequence of geopolitical circumstances and a series of disruptions that led to inflationary pressures.

“In that situation, we will combine all that we have at our disposal, from counter-cyclical measures, to tax relief measures and subsidies. The key is to help those who need it the most,” he said.

Plenkovic said the upgrade of Croatia’s credit rating to investment level by three agencies meant that it was perceived “as a country which has firmly put its anchor within the 20-member euro area… the most developed EU countries, which have common protection mechanisms in situations like this one, where we will use the European Central Bank’s strength also to curb inflation in Croatia.”

The upgrades are also a message to financial markets, he said, adding that “if it’s good for the state and its borrowing, it’s also good for banks,” businesses, and citizens.

Plenkovic went on to say that it was good that parliament voted for an initiative to embark on constitutional changes, which he said was not an attack on the Constitution, as claimed by President Zoran Milanovic, but about the need to specify vague Defence Act provisions.

He also praised the fact that parliament ratified with a huge majority a protocol on the NATO accession of Finland and Sweden, the confirmation of Marko Primorac as the new minister of finance and Oleg Butkovic as a deputy prime minister, and the rejection of a no-confidence vote in Foreign Minster Gordan Grlic-Radman.

That shows that the parliamentary majority is strong, he added.